


A Step Back, is a Step Forward (ShuMako Week 2020)

by Toaster_Fire



Series: ShuMako Week 2020 [1]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Cute, Declarations Of Love, Dorks in Love, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Im telling you all why I love them, Love, One True Pairing, Relationship Study, ShuMako Week 2020, Studying, i love these two so much, yeah - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:27:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22255660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toaster_Fire/pseuds/Toaster_Fire
Summary: The first fic for the week of ShuMako 2020!- Day 1: Study Partners / ConfessionsAfter the relationship has been discovered in the worst way possible, Ren and Makoto decided to take the time away from each other in order to recover from their embarrassing situation. A week later, Ren finally has the courage to ask Makoto to come for a study session. And he will use this opportunity to mend the rift in their relationship.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Niijima Makoto, Kurusu Akira/Niijima Makoto, Niijima Makoto/Persona 5 Protagonist
Series: ShuMako Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1602097
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16
Collections: ShuMako Week 2020





	A Step Back, is a Step Forward (ShuMako Week 2020)

**Author's Note:**

> Set after the events of "As the Dawn Breaks" but you don't have to read that to read this one. (TL;DR: Their relationship gets discovered in the most embarrassing way possible. Lots of fluff.)
> 
> So, I'm finally getting into my ShuMako week ever! And while I'm quite late with the first one, I'll try and finish the other ones on time. But this first one is a biggy because it is a continuation on one of the stories I really loved making. So really hope you enjoy it!

“And remember, if you are going to spend the rest of the night together... you better tell me first and take some precautions before you go do… whatever it is you are doing. Just don’t give us any “opportunities” …”

“Yes Sojiro. I understand.”

Sojiro sighs, “Well, don’t take it too hard kid. Now, you go and study with her… just don’t go too far with it. I’m still going to open up shop tomorrow.”

“Understood.”

“Well then, I’ll see you tomorrow. Come on Morgana.”

Sojiro opened the door, waiting for Morgana to come with him.

Morgana looked up at me, “I… hope that things work out between you and Makoto. I’m sorry I had to be there to see it…”

I rubbed Morgana’s head to reassure him, “No, it’s alright. It was my fault for being reckless anyway. You have a good night’s rest, ok?

Morgana nodded, before going along with Sojiro back to his house.

_“Ok… you can do this Ren. You can make it up to her. I know you can.”_

Alright. I managed to find and convince her to come back for a study session since it has been a busy week for the both of us and I thought it would be a great idea to get together and finish our homework. Though, I can’t start doing that without addressing the elephant in the room…

The “Joker and Queen Exposed: How a dynamic fighting duo turned into a bunch of horndogs and created an embarrassing scene ” incident as I liked to call it.

Ok, I think I’m still exaggerating it a bit too much…

Still, saying nothing about it would just makes this incredibly awkward.

_“Come on Ren! It’s already been a week since it happened. It would only end up worse if we don’t resolve it now!”_

With that, I finally gathered enough resolve to go to the booth where Makoto is. Hoping at least that I can say everything I need to her before her she goes into a full blown rage mode.

\----

“Hey, Makoto…”

“...”

She was still visibly upset. Her arms crossed and eyes away from mine.

“Look, I… I...”

“...”

The words I wanted to stay suddenly choked up within me. As if my guilt and fears are grabbing me by the throat.

_“No. I can’t let them take over me now! I have to… I have to say that…”_

“Alright, I screwed up. Very, very badly. I knew I should have told Sojiro about you coming over before I let you in so that none of this wouldn’t have to happen. But instead, I didn’t control myself enough to not take that step. And it led to our relationship being found out in the… way we didn’t want to. ”

“...”

“I know that my words can not erase any trace of embarrassment that we have felt during that day. I just want you to know that, I want to make it up. I want us to take a step back for a bit so that we could return to the reason why we loved each other in the first place. Nothing to do with sex at all. I promise.”

“...”

She slowly returned her gaze back at me. Still upset, but willing to listen.

“I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry. I want to do all I can to make this up to you. Please...”

“...”

Makoto closed her eyes, trying to hold herself back from crying.

“Ren… I… I want to… apologise too… for… f-for...”

She was choking up on her words.

***sniff***

“I-I… don’t deserve to be here… if I... * **sniff*** can’t say it…”

I quickly exit out of my seat to go next to her.

“It’s okay. Take your time if you need to find the right words.”

“I just f-feel like… ***sniff*** I w-was the one who… c-caused this…”

“No.”

“H-huh…?”

“We could never have had predicted where our relationship went. We’re both still teenagers, and we’re still trying to figure out who we are. Besides, we did it anyway because we really did love each other so much, right?”

“R-Ren, you …”

With those final words, she finally let it all go. Tears that she had been holding to fall down as she tried wiping them away.

I hugged her. Trying to assure her that we shouldn’t blame ourselves for our own mistakes.

“We are going to be alright Makoto. We are still here together after all.”

She held onto me as tightly as he could, as if her life depended on it. I admit, I felt like I was choking. But my heart was more than happy about it because we are finally reconciling our feelings for each other.

\------

Once her tears dry up, she slowly recomposed herself. And as a result, loosened our grip on each other.

“Um, Ren…”

“Yes Makoto?”

“Do you remember that first time that we… studied something new?”

I blushed, “Yes…”

“Did doing that awoke something within you?”

Wait, what?

I sheepishly smiled, “Well, honestly… I think it did…? It’s just… um… I, uh...”

Makoto put a hand on my shoulder, “Take your time, Ren.”

She’s using my own words against me. What a world we live in.

I closed my eyes in thought, “Well… I guess it’s the fact that I have someone that I can give a piece of my heart to in a time where I felt so lost. Even though I had loving parents, I always feel like just another face in the crowd. A simple nobody.”

“But Ren, you are more than that…”

I looked back at her, “Yeah, but I only know that just now. Looking back, I just didn’t realise how dull and lonely everything is back at home. And while I came here by some unfortunate circumstance… it gave me many things I thought that I never needed. Like friends, fun, and...”

I held her hand, 

“You.”

Makoto’s eyes widened, “Oh… I, uh…”

“Makoto. I’m not joking when I say you are the best thing that happened to me. I know things weren’t really that great from the start, when I thought you were nothing but stuck-up and selfish…”

“Ren...”

“Sorry. Just getting that out there first. But when you finally decided to join the phantom thieves, I began to see that there was more to you. I realised that my previous assumptions were wrong the moment you told me about your life and your inexperience with this world, you had about as much difficulty living in this world as the rest of us.”

Makoto looks a bit puzzled, “So, where are you going with this?”

“The moment you asked me to help you step outside your boundaries, and eventually help out with Eiko’s case, I grew to adore and love you. For your dedication, care for others, kindness, fierce resolve, and of course, cuteness.”

Makoto blushed and jabbed at my shoulder, “Me? Cute? Of all things???”

I chuckled, “Yeah, just like that.”

Makoto scratched her head abashedly, “How can I be so ignorant…”

“I mean, the moment I told you I want to ‘help you study romance’ and then you asked if I liked you was the final nail in the coffin. I was reluctant about my feelings towards you, but my heart at that point just yelled at me to say ‘YES! YES! YES!’. It’s easy to say that my heart was taken by you haha.”

A smile grew on Makoto’s face, “You dork…”

I felt a bit embarrassed hearing that, “So... yeah, that’s my thesis on why I love you.”

“Wait a minute, thesis?”

“This is supposed to be a study session on love right? So what do you think?”

***smooch***

“It was excellent. You passed with flying colors. You nerd.”

My face felt warm at the touch of Makoto’s kiss, “Aw., thank you…”

Ahh, It’s great, getting back together at last…

....

“Hey Makoto?”

“Yes Ren?”

“Do you mind helping me figure out what the heck calculus is supposed to be about?”

Makoto chuckled, “Of course. That’s why we are here after all…”

I pumped my fist in the air, “Alright, let’s get this started!”

**Author's Note:**

> Check out @shumakoweek for more ShuMako goodness!
> 
> I'll see you all on the next part of ShuMako week 2020!
> 
> \- Toaster_Fire.


End file.
